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A Comparative Performance Analysis of Sonata in A Major, Op. 162, D. 574 for Violin and Piano by Franz Peter Schubert

Abstract

Schubert composed works in various genres, including art song, opera, chamber, orchestral, piano and sacred music, as did Viennese composers of previous generations. But, he only wrote four sonatas for violin and piano: Sonatas in D major, A minor, G minor, and A major, the first three written in 1816 and the last in 1817. Of these sonatas, the first three are usually listed and programmed as "sonatinas." The last is often referred to as a "Duo."^ The first three works are simple in terms of musical depth and style, but the A Major Sonata is more developed, even though it was written just a year after the other three. Thus, this dissertation studies the Sonata in A major, D. 574, op. 162 for violin and piano.^ There are as many interpretations of the Sonata as there are recordings. For this study, I have selected recordings of the piece from different periods and analyzed the ways in which each performer executes various aspects of violin technique.^ The purpose of this document is to serve as a reference for violinists studying the Schubert violin Sonata, Op. 162. The study compares the interpretation of the piece based on five recordings—those of violinists Fritz Kreisler, Michael Rabin, Rafael Druian, Gidon Kremer, and Julia Fischer. The first recording is from 1928, the next two are from the mid twentieth century, and the last two are from 1993 and 2009.^